Jake’s big break: No surgery for center’s shoulder

The starting center with a mysterious shoulder injury turned out to be a muscle strain, not a tear, so put the lasers and knives back in the drawer.

Jake Grove could be back in time for the opener against the Chargers on Sept. 11.

A tear would have shelved Grove for up to 12 weeks, which is what the team feared when he got hurt in practice Tuesday. Grove found out Thursday morning some simple rehab will do the trick in the next three-to-four weeks.

“It looks like I dodged a bullet this time,” Grove said after the team’s first practice at Raiders headquarters in Alameda. The team broke training camp Wednesday in Napa, with Grove the only starter to get seriously hurt during the month-long stay.

It’ll be a push for Grove to make it back for the Sept. 11 season opener against the San Diego Chargers. If he misses Week 2 at Baltimore, he won’t get to play until October because the Raiders have a bye the last week of September.

In the meantime, get used to Corey Hulsey at center. He’s a native Georgian with a wonderful deep-south accent and a fondness for hunting gear. He’ll start Friday against the Lions.